‘Tumultuous relationship’ escalated into shooting, SC prosecutor says
A shooting landed one man in a South Carolina hospital and now is sending another man to prison, according to the 5th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
A Richland County jury recently convicted Matthew Byrd of a first-degree assault and battery charge, the solicitor’s office said in a news release.
Judge Heath Taylor sentenced the 36-year-old West Columbia resident to 10 years in a South Carolina Department of Corrections prison, according to the release.
The conviction followed a 2022 incident where a man was shot. Byrd and the victim had a “tumultuous relationship,” the solicitor’s office said.
The shooting happened at a Brennen Road home on April 28, 2022, the Columbia Police Department previously said. That’s in the Devine Street area, not far from Lake Katherine.
Byrd went to an acquaintance’s apartment where the victim was visiting, the solicitor’s office said in the release. Byrd entered the apartment and was arguing with the male victim when he fired the gun before leaving, officials said. Information about why Byrd and the victim were arguing was not available.
EMS took the victim to an area hospital where he was treated for a month, the solicitor’s office said.
No other injuries were reported.
Byrd avoided arrest until May 12, 2022, when police officers and members of the U.S. Marshals Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force tracked the wanted man down at a home in Cayce, police said. When he was arrested, Byrd was originally charged with attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, Richland County court records show.
Columbia police investigated the case, while Assistant Solicitors Nick Fowler and Luke Pincelli led the prosecution for the solicitor’s office. Robert Williams was listed as Byrd’s attorney, according to court records.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREThis is a breaking news story
In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.
